Spotlight #20- Jurassic Park
Well, here we are, three weeks out from the reboot we've always wanted. No doubt about it, "Jurassic World" is going to be at least very interesting, being our first look at Jurassic Park as John Hammond always dreamed it, and our reintroduction into the franchise that jump-started just about everybody's childhood obsession with dinosaurs. So, in honor of Colin Treverrow's impending epic, we'll be spending the next three weeks at the story's roots. This week, we'll be looking at not only the best dinosaur film in history, but arguably the best movie ever made- Steven Spielberg's adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel by Micheal Crichton, Jurassic Park.
For those of you who have been out of the loop for twenty-two years, "Jurassic Park" details the creation and eventual downfall of an amusement park that was never meant to be. After a series of accidents threatens to foreclose the park for good, the park's creator, John Hammond (played by Richard Attenborough) recruits a group of scientists to help endorse in it. What the team- Vertebrate Paleontologist Alan Grant (Sam Neil), Paleobotanist Ellie Satler (Laura Dern), and mathematician Ian Malcom (Jeff Goldblum)- don't know is that the park is, in fact, a zoological reserve... for genetically re-engineered dinosaurs. Hammond, with a child-like sense of wonder, has resurrected them for the entertainment of the world. Unfortunately for him and everyone on the island, the creation process was flawed. Soon, the power cuts off, dinosaurs run rampant on the island, and what started as a quest for wonder has become a fight for survival.
Now, when I say that this is the best dinosaur movie of all time, I mean it. To this day, no plot has used dinosaurs in such a deep, philosophical way that leaves you with as much to think about as this does. The author and the director were able to see what dinosaurs meant to them and conveyed both the wonder and the horror flawlessly. It's able to take its time with the dinosaurs, only showing the immortal T. rex breakout scene about halfway through the film. When we do see them, they are portrayed in some of the best-shot, most-realistic, and best-paced scenes in all of film-making. From the first time you see the Brachiosaurus grace the screen backed by John William's breathtaking score, to the final shot of the apex predator's spine-tingling roar, you feel the weight of these spectacular creatures.
Then, of course, there's what this movie did for film-making. The animatronics were all incredibly life-like, and only take true paleontologists to tell from their real-life counterparts. Originally, those were intended to support stop-motion animation, but after Spielberg saw some CG test footage, he opted for photorealistic computer graphics instead. You'd think that, after twenty years, the footage would have looked stale by now, but the dedication shows even to this day. Even in incidents with a relatively shaky camera like the Gallimimus chase, the computerized material blends well enough with the captured footage to put most modern films to shame. The sound design is incredible too; only after extensive research did I learn that the alien-sounding growls, roars, and songs all came from real-world animals with little post-production editing. It all comes together to bring dinosaurs closer to life than almost anything else.
That being said, Steven Spielberg knew how to balance these factors with the characters. All of the actors fit very well into their respective roles, and Jeff Goldblum's and Bob Peck's (playing Robert Muldoon) have since become internet icons. As far as kid actors go, Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards really seem to enjoy their roles and bring quite a bit to them. The best part is that, as simplistic as their arcs may be, the script brings them together with fantastic chemistry. This includes a flawless scene in the middle that turns John Hammond into the tragic character the book overlooked (his "flea circus" speech honestly jerks some tears even to this day.) Especially of note is Samuel Jackson's role as a computer geek- this was before he adopted his over-the-top persona from "Pulp Fiction" and "the Avengers", so it's comparatively subtle. It's not really a complaint nor a bonus, but he takes the role well for what it is.
I can't really sell it as the perfect movie; like I said, some characters aren't really as developed as others. However, if you can get past that, you'll find that what it does well, it does incredibly well. There isn't really anything else I can say about this movie that hasn't been said before. It's one of the most solid film experiences I've ever seen, topped with great action and expert horror direction. So many iconic moments have come out of here, it's no wonder it's often recommended as one of the one hundred films every movie goer has to see. There's little-to-no chance you haven't seen this already, but just in case, go out, buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray, watch it, and get lost in it, because I know you will.
Now, when I say that this is the best dinosaur movie of all time, I mean it. To this day, no plot has used dinosaurs in such a deep, philosophical way that leaves you with as much to think about as this does. The author and the director were able to see what dinosaurs meant to them and conveyed both the wonder and the horror flawlessly. It's able to take its time with the dinosaurs, only showing the immortal T. rex breakout scene about halfway through the film. When we do see them, they are portrayed in some of the best-shot, most-realistic, and best-paced scenes in all of film-making. From the first time you see the Brachiosaurus grace the screen backed by John William's breathtaking score, to the final shot of the apex predator's spine-tingling roar, you feel the weight of these spectacular creatures.
Then, of course, there's what this movie did for film-making. The animatronics were all incredibly life-like, and only take true paleontologists to tell from their real-life counterparts. Originally, those were intended to support stop-motion animation, but after Spielberg saw some CG test footage, he opted for photorealistic computer graphics instead. You'd think that, after twenty years, the footage would have looked stale by now, but the dedication shows even to this day. Even in incidents with a relatively shaky camera like the Gallimimus chase, the computerized material blends well enough with the captured footage to put most modern films to shame. The sound design is incredible too; only after extensive research did I learn that the alien-sounding growls, roars, and songs all came from real-world animals with little post-production editing. It all comes together to bring dinosaurs closer to life than almost anything else.
That being said, Steven Spielberg knew how to balance these factors with the characters. All of the actors fit very well into their respective roles, and Jeff Goldblum's and Bob Peck's (playing Robert Muldoon) have since become internet icons. As far as kid actors go, Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards really seem to enjoy their roles and bring quite a bit to them. The best part is that, as simplistic as their arcs may be, the script brings them together with fantastic chemistry. This includes a flawless scene in the middle that turns John Hammond into the tragic character the book overlooked (his "flea circus" speech honestly jerks some tears even to this day.) Especially of note is Samuel Jackson's role as a computer geek- this was before he adopted his over-the-top persona from "Pulp Fiction" and "the Avengers", so it's comparatively subtle. It's not really a complaint nor a bonus, but he takes the role well for what it is.
I can't really sell it as the perfect movie; like I said, some characters aren't really as developed as others. However, if you can get past that, you'll find that what it does well, it does incredibly well. There isn't really anything else I can say about this movie that hasn't been said before. It's one of the most solid film experiences I've ever seen, topped with great action and expert horror direction. So many iconic moments have come out of here, it's no wonder it's often recommended as one of the one hundred films every movie goer has to see. There's little-to-no chance you haven't seen this already, but just in case, go out, buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray, watch it, and get lost in it, because I know you will.
That is, until we get to the sequels...
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